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Chicken Scarpariello

Chicken Scarpariello, also known as shoemaker's chicken (scarpa/e means shoe(s) in Italian), is a classic Italian-American dish with braised chicken, sausage, onions and peppers and vinegar peppers that has all the flavors and textures: tangy and savory, spicy and sweet, tender and crunchy. I like to make it for a Sunday second dish or a weeknight meal. My recipe starts off stove top, and finishes in the oven, using hot and sweet fennel sausage.  It packs a nice punch and isn’t for the timid, and it's ultimately very easy to make. This tastes better if prepared a day in advance. 
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups EVOO
  • 1 lb. sausage, a combo of hot and sweet, cut into bite- size pieces
  • 2 to 2 1/2 lbs. chicken, cut into 12 small pieces, bone in
  • 2 large bell peppers, red, green or yellow, cored, seeded, and cut, lengthwise, into 1/4-inch strips 1 large yellow onion, cut, lengthwise, into 1/4 inch slices 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup halved hot cherry peppers
  • 1/2 cup of vinegared sweet peppers
  • 1/2 cup of the juice from the vinegared sweet bell peppers Salt and pepper to taste
  • I eliminate the oregano in mine because I don't care for it.

Method
 

  1. Heat oil in a large deep saute pan over medium high heat. Saute sausage for about 8 minutes until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove them and set aside.
  2. Reheat oil, pat chicken dry and saute chicken for about 15 minutes until cooked through.
  3. Stir in bell peppers, onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown. Add hot vinegar peppers with juice, wine, chicken stock to pepper onion mixture and bring to a boil Lower heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until
  4. Combine the pepper and onion mixture, including all juices, with the sausage and chicken, and cook at 450°F until chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. This tastes even better if prepared a day ahead. Next day, reheat, covered, until heated through. Uncover and continue simmering until sauce is reduced slightly.
  5. Note: You can, near the end of cooking, add 2 or 3 sliced boiled potatoes to this dish to absorb the tangy rich flavor of this sauce. Regardless, you'll want to grab a loaf of 2 of Italian bread to do the same